Defiance producer discusses EGO, payment models, and more

Although games have been based on other media such as movies, television shows, and comics, no one has blended an MMO and a media property into one interactive world. No one, that is, until Trion Worlds and Syfy teamed up to create Defiance. In a recent interview, Defiance Producer Robb Hill talked about various aspects of the upcoming game, including content, cross-platform interaction, the payment model, and more.

Acknowledging that new content can't be released on a weekly basis, Hill explained the plan for keeping things fresh in-game. He highlights that besides the competitive multiplayer system, players can continually redo encounters and net new rewards.

Hill also elaborated on the game's EGO system, describing it as an implanted AI device that grants players the ability to survive the harsh environments and also gives special abilities like cloaking and super speed. The in-game HUD is actually a manifestation of the EGO, giving players information and updating as missions progress.

Regarding cross-platform interaction, Hill said that although it is possible (the dev team is currently playing together from different platforms), the public will not be able to in the commercial game. He stated, "Sony and Microsoft aren't too keen on us doing that, so no. We're not allowed to." Although the payment model has not been 100% decided, Hill also noted that the development team is leaning toward players buying the box then choosing if they want to buy piecemeal or subscribe to get the downloadable content free.